"I am descended from (2122) Benjamin Herendeen of Providence, who has been stated to be a son of John Harrington who drowneded in Boston harbor about 1631 and Ann Clinton otherwise Fiennes. There are several variations, the most frequent is outlined as follows:

'Benjamin Herendeen arrived with his siblings Abraham and Rebecca, and his father John Harrington, son of John Harington of Kelston and Ann [or Elizabeth or Susannah in other versions] Clinton, otherwise Fiennes, daughter of Thomas Clinton, otherwise Fiennes, 3rd Earl of Lincoln, in 1631. Another brother, Robert [of Watertown], arrived later. John drowned in Boston harbor shortly after their arrival, leaving his wife who was known as "Widow Errington". Benjamin became a Baptist and went to live with an uncle, Charles Fines, from whom he removed to Providence for religious reasons.'

"I know of no evidence to support this story and several aspects of it are incorrect.

Firstly, the connection to Sir John Harington of Kelston is not sound. Sir John and his wife Mary Rogers did have a son John but he married Dionysse Ley and stayed in England. Furthermore the immigration of someone so prominent as a son of the Godson of Queen Elizabeth would have been noted by contemporary sources. The immigration of this family was not. More recently I have heard of a claim that this John Harington was a member of the Witham-on-the-Hill Haringtons. While this may be more plausible there is no proof to support it that I am aware of.

Secondly, whoever Benjamin Herendeen's mother was, she was NOT the daughter of Thomas Clinton (otherwise Fiennes), 3rd Earl of Lincoln. Again the immigration of someone so prominent would have been noted as were the immigrations of two other daughters, Susan and Arbella, and a son, Charles. Furthermore, Ann Clinton, dau. of Earl Thomas, is noted to have died young as she is not mentioned in his will. He died in 1618, well before Ann Clinton Harrington's reported arrival at Charlestown in 1631. The other daughters sometimes named as John Harrington's wife are Elizabeth, who married John Beresford, and Susan, who married John Humphrey.

Most of what is claimed for "Widow Ann" is due to Ann Liddell Errington, who came with her two surviving children to New England after the death of her husband William and is the "widow Errington" of Charlestown, MA.

Lastly it should be noted that there is NO evidence connecting Benjamin Herendeen to Robert Harrington of Watertown or Abraham and Rebecca Errington of Charlestown. These persons have been shown to be children in other families with no siblings named Benjamin.

Ysearch User #QCM7H claims descent from Josiah Harrigton (1702-1786) of Providence, RI. FamilySearch shows this person to be in (2122) Benjamin Hearnden's line. His DNA matches that of several other Harringtons, so a modal haplotype can be established. It is shown below:

Benjamin's DNA is I2b1 (tested for subclades), of the "continental" variety common among the invaders of England from Lower Saxony. The DNA of a presumed descendant of Robert Harrington (1616-) of Somersetshire, though also of Hg 12b1 (untested for subclades) and likely also "continental", does not match Benjamin's haplotype.

In 1891, the Harrington name was found mainly in Essex, Hearnden in Kent and Errington in Durham. The only IGI birth records of possible fathers for Benjamin are from Bedfordshire (Erringtons, Eryngton and Irrington); but this merely reflects the scarcity of good data from that period. If I had to guess where Benjamin was born, I would say "Essex".

"WALLEN, WALLING, or WALINE, ...(4247iv[2]) THOMAS, Providence, perhaps s. of the preced. liv. at P. when to took the o. of alleg. in May 1682, and thro. the war with Philip. He m. 19 June 1669, (4247iv) Margaret, wid. perhaps of (4247iv[1]) Robert Caldwell."
-- James Savage, op. cit.

Family (3): Daniel Abbott 25 Dec. 1678 Providence, Providence, RI

b. 1635 Cambridge, Middlesex, MA

d. 28 Nov. 1700 Providence, Providence, RI

Father: Daniel Abbott

Mother: Mary Mills

"ABBOT, ...(4247iv[3]) DANIEL, Providence, perhaps s. of the preced. took o. of alleg. 1668 to the k. did not rem. during Philip's war, and may have been the town clk. there 1680."
-- James Savage, op. cit.

NOTE: According to the LDS Ancestral File, (4247) Elizabeth was Elizabeth Cadman, b. "c. 1603" and the daughter of George Cadman (b. "c. 1583") and Elizabeth Hathaway (b. "c. 1587"). It appears that this George and Hannah were a century later, and of Dartmouth, MA. They indeed had a daughter Elizabeth who married a William White, this one a descendant of the Mayflower passenger.

Our (4247) Elizabeth was of unknown parentage, like her husband.

On 27 October 1656, Providence "ordered yt (4246) William White be accomodated with a house lot adjoining to (2122) Benjamin Herndell his house lot and further according to convenience Ordered yt
inlargeing of (2122) Benjamine Herndell his lot." (Early Providence Records, hereinafter EPR)

William White of Boston, bricklayer, with consent of wife of (4247) Elizabeth, for œ20 sterling, "payd by (2123) Elizabeth the wife of Benjamin Herenden of Providence" confirmed to Benjamin land, dwelling house, and other housing in Providence on 16 October 1662. (EPR, 4:9-10)

Several websites show (4248) James as the Draper & Fishmonger, son of William Angell (a man, apparently, of great wealth) and Joan Povey. Their son James (d. 1638 Enfield), however, married 2 Feb. 1624 All Hallows, Bread St., London Ann Elliot, not (4129) Mary Honeychurch

Vanessa Trampleasure trampleasure@btinternet.com also disputed (18 Mar. 2002) the connection between (2124) Thomas Angell of Providence (s/o James & Mary) and the descendants of William:

"I have heard of the Honeychurch marriage/liaison but have not found anything to prove it.

"However, if Thomas was the result of a youthful fling it would make sense to dispose of him in a far flung colony. Yet William Angell (who would be his grandfather) makes no mention of him in his will in 1629, yet goes into great detail about how he will disposess anyone who made a claim on his second wife's will and how much money he has laid out in his life time to help his eldest son John. If he had coughed up to dispose of James' indiscretion it seems out of character not to mention it (or at least stipulate that none of his money should end up with Thomas).

"The name Angell is fairly common in the records of Aliens in Tudor London there are Italian and Dutch Angells. I have found records of a number of foundling children baptised Angell, even a black slave boy given it as his last name (his Mistress was Angell Hampton)."

"Roger (Williams's ...mother was Alice Pemberton. Alice and her brother, Roger, were born in St. Albans, Hertfordshire in 1564 and 1560, respectively. Roger Pemberton, who was the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, was the father of John Pemberton (b. 1582, d. 1645)... (who) married... Catherine Angell (b. 1592, d. 1629), d/o William `the Fishmonger' ..."

-- http://www.rootsweb.com/~rigenweb/angell.html

...and Thomas Angell may have been apprenticed to Roger Williams. Personally, I don't consider that to be a significant connection.